Tub arrangement

ABSTRACT

A tub arrangement comprising leg sections ( 2   a,    2   b ) and/or supporting arrangement ( 12, 13 ) for fixing the arrangement on a wall or an a inner wall of a closet, wherein at least one supporting means comprise against a floor placed legs ( 2   b ), wherein wheels ( 4   b,    4   c ); ( 4   d,    4   e ) have been connected to said legs at a two part tub ( 1 ), to which one ( 2   b ) of the leg sections is fixed and which comprises a separate seat section ( 1   a ) and correspondingly a separate foot section ( 1   b ), the tub being turnable around a horizontal axis so that a person taking a bath can either lie or sit in the tub ( 1 ). The arrangement comprises a power element ( 6 ) connected between the leg sections ( 2   a,    2   b ) or between leg section ( 2   b ) and supporting arrangement ( 12, 13 ) for adjusting the distance between a first connecting point ( 7 ) and a second connecting point ( 8 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a tub arrangement comprising leg sectionscoupled together by hinges for bending the leg sections around thehinges, the leg sections being connected to wheels and a two-part tub,to which one of the leg sections is fixed and which comprises a separateseat section and correspondingly a separate foot section, the tub beingturnable around a horizontal axis so that a person taking a bath caneither lie or sit in the tub.

The prior art teaches different manners of using a tub for bathing.Finnish Patent 97,272 discloses a tub arrangement with a two-part tub.The two-part tub consists of a seat section and a foot section and it ismounted on a leg section provided with hinges and wheels. The legsection can be bent around the hinges, so that the tub can be positionedeither in a horizontal position or in a seating position. A drawback ofsuch an arrangement is that when the tub is being changed from oneposition to another, the tub arrangement moves on the push surface whereit is located due to the wheels of the leg section, thus requiring atleast two people to change the position of the tub. Furthermore, if thetub is at least partly filled with liquid and there is a person bathingin the tub, changing the position of the tub requires strenuous efforts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a tub arrangementwith none of the aforementioned drawbacks.

A tub arrangement according to the invention is characterized in thatthe arrangement comprises a power element connected to the leg sectionsfor adjusting the distance between a first connecting point and a secondconnecting point.

According to a basic idea of the invention, one of the wheel pairsarranged in the leg section of the tub arrangement is locked into anon-rotating position, so that when the distance between the connectingpoints is adjusted by means of the power element, the position of thetub can be changed in a small space.

An advantage of the tub arrangement according to the invention is thatthe tub can be easily changed from one position to another, and the tubremains substantially in place on the floor. Another advantage of thetub arrangement according to the invention is that when the tub isinstalled in the sitting position, it requires only a little space andit is easy to step into the tub for a bath. This is particularly usefulwhen disabled or elderly people utilize the tub arrangement.

A tub arrangement according to one embodiment of the invention isfurther characterized in that one sections of the leg/supportingsections comprise a legs positioned against the floor, wherein asupporting arrangement to the wall, as closet wall, is working as theother leg sections, which arrangement comprising a rail fitted on thewall on which rail a roll or like fixed to the tub moves for turning thetub around its horizontal axis.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a tub arrangement according to theinvention in a horizontal position,

FIG. 2 shows schematically the tub arrangement according to FIG. 1 in asitting position,

FIGS. 3 a, 3 b and 3 c are schematic bottom views of differentembodiments of the tub arrangement according to the invention, and

FIG. 4 shows into a closet placed tub arrangement in a horizontalposition.

FIG. 5 shows into a closet placed tub arrangement in a verticalposition.

For the sake of clarity, the figures show the invention in a simplifiedmanner. Like reference numerals refer to like parts in the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a tub arrangement according to theinvention in a horizontal position, the tub arrangement comprising a tub1 with a seat section 1 a and a foot section 1 b. Between the seatsection 1 a and the foot section 1 b, the bottom of the tub rises tosuch an extent that in the horizontal position of the tub the sectionsconstitute clearly separate parts of the tub, yet if desired, a personbathing in the tub can covered by water or some other liquid up tohis/her neck. The bottom of the seat section 1 a is provided with adrainage duct for the seat section, which is not shown in the figures,and correspondingly, the bottom of the foot section 1 b is provided witha drainage duct for the foot section, not shown in the figures, either.Liquid can be discharged from the tub 1 via these ducts. The bottom andthe sides of the tub are also provided with feed ducts not shown in FIG.1 for feeding liquid, such as water, or gas, such as steam, at a highpressure either in a continuous or pulse-like flow. The placement andnumber of the feed ducts in each section 1 a and 1 b of the tub canvary, i.e. the liquid or gas can be fed into the tub 1 via the feedducts of either the seat section 1 a or the foot section 1 b, or ifdesired, via the feed ducts of both sections.

The tub arrangement comprises a tub 1 and a leg section, which consistsof a leg section 2 a on the side of the seat section 1 a, a leg section2 b on the side of the foot section 1 b, hinges 3 a and 3 b for couplingthe leg sections 2 a and 2 b together, wheels 4 a of the leg section 2 aof the seat section 1 a, and wheels 4 b of the leg section 2 b of thefoot section 1 b. The tub 1 is firmly fastened to leg section 2 b byfastening means 10 a and 10 b, so that the tub 1 is substantiallyimmovable with respect to leg section 2 b irrespective of whether thetub 1 is in the sitting or the horizontal position. The pairs of wheels4 a and 4 b are arranged in the leg sections 2 a and 2 b such that inthe sitting position the centre of gravity of the tub arrangement withrespect to the push surface 9 is located in such a manner that the tubwill not keel over irrespective of whether it is empty or filled withliquid. The leg section 2 a on the side of the seat section 1 a isconnected by a power element 6 to the leg section 2 b on the side of thefoot section 1 b at connecting points 7 and 8. The power element 6 canbe for example a piston-type cylinder, where the length of stroke iscontrolled for example hydraulically or pneumatically. The essentialfact is that the power element 6 controls the distance between the firstconnecting point 7 and the second connecting point 8. The wheels 4 a and4 b are provided with locking mechanisms 5 a and 5 b for locking thewheels 4 a, 4 b into a non-rotating position. The wheels 4 b, thelocking mechanisms 5 b, the hinge 3 b and the fastening means 10 b willbe shown below in FIGS. 3 a, 3 b and 3 c. The locking mechanisms 5 a and5 b of the wheels 4 a and 4 b for locking the wheels into a non-rotatingposition either mechanically, electrically or pneumatically are knownper se to a person skilled in the art, wherefore the structure andoperation thereof will not be described in more detail herein. The legsections 2 a and 2 b can be bent around the hinges 3 a and 3 b, so thatthe tub 1 can be placed either in the horizontal position shown in FIG.1 or in the sitting position shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 shows schematically the tub arrangement according to FIG. 1,where the tub 1 has been turned into a sitting position. In thisposition, it is easy to step into the tub 1, whereafter the tub can beturned into a suitable position for a bath. The tub 1 can be changedfrom one position to another in two different manners. Firstly, thehorizontal position shown in FIG. 1 can be changed into the sittingposition shown in FIG. 2 by locking the wheels 4 a as described above,and by shortening the distance between the connecting points 7 and 8 bythe power element 6. Furthermore, the sitting position shown in FIG. 2can be changed back into the horizontal position shown in FIG. 1 bylocking the wheels 4 a as described above and by lengthening thedistance between the connecting points 7 and 8 by the power element 6.In the second manner, the horizontal position shown in FIG. 1 isconverted into the sitting position shown in FIG. 2 by locking thewheels 4 b as described above and by shortening the distance between theconnecting points 7 and 8 by the power element 6. Furthermore, in thesecond manner the sitting position shown in FIG. 2 is reconverted intothe horizontal position shown in FIG. 1 by locking the wheels 4 b asdescribed above and by lengthening the distance between the connectingpoints 7 and 8 by the power element 6.

FIGS. 3 a, 3 b and 3 c are schematic bottom views of differentembodiments of the tub arrangement according to the invention.

In the FIG. 4 there is a tub arrangement, as one leg parts 2 b of whichare against floor placed legs which are equipped with wheels 4 d, 4 e.The leg part 2 b has been firmly fixed to the tub by means of a part 10a. The turning motions for the tub are done by means of power element 6,one fixing point 8 of which locating in a leg 2 b and the other fixingpoint 7 on a wall of the closet 11. There on the closet wall has beenarranged a curved rail 12 and a roll 13 rolling along rails 12 has beenfixed to the tub, wherein the power element 6 pulls the fixing points 7and 8 nearer to each other, the tub turns into vertical position andmoves into the closet 11, as described in FIG. 5. When the power elementis lengthening the distance between the fixing points 7,8, the tub isturning into horizontal position, as it is in FIG. 4. The leg 2 b hasbeen equipped with two successive wheels 4 d, 4 e, wherein the lower endof the tub is easily moving in whole moving range when it is lifted up.

The invention is described in the above specification and in thedrawings only by way of an example, and it is not restricted thereto inany way. Therefore, the structures of the leg sections 2 a and 2 b canvary, as long as the tub 1 can be turned into the required positions.The number of the wheels 4 a and 4 b is not restricted to theaforementioned four wheels, either, but the number thereof must besubstantially sufficient to keep the tub arrangement firmly upright onthe push surface 9. Moreover, the leg sections 2 a and 2 b can beanchored for example to the push surface 9 or to a wall surface bydifferent anchoring means, such as hooks, or the push surface 9, alongwhich the tub arrangement according to the invention is being moved, canbe provided with protrusions or recesses that prevent the wheels 4 a and4 b from rotating.

1. A tub arrangement comprising leg sections (2 a, 2 b) and/orsupporting arrangement (12,13) for fixing the arrangement on a wall oron a inner wall of a closet, wherein at least one supporting meanscomprise against a floor placed legs (2 b), wherein wheels (4 b,4 c); (4d,4 e) and a two part tub (1), to which one (2 b) of the leg sections isfixed and which comprises a separate seat section (1 a) andcorrespondingly a separate foot section (1 b), the tub being turnablearound a horizontal axis so that a person taking a bath can either lieor sit in the tub (1), characterized in that the arrangement comprises apower element (6) connected between the leg sections (2 a, 2 b) orbetween leg section (2 b) and supporting arrangement (12,13) foradjusting the distance between a first connecting point (7) and a secondconnecting point (8).
 2. A tub arrangement according to claim 1,characterized in that both leg sections (2 a, 2 b) are against floorplaced legs.
 3. A tub arrangement according to claim 1, characterized inthat the first connecting point (7) of the power element (6) locates inthe leg section (2 a) and the other in the leg section (2 b).
 4. A tubarrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the first ones(2 b) of the leg/supporting sections comprise legs positioned againstthe floor, wherein supporting arrangement (12,13) to the wall, as to ainner wall of a closet (11), is working as the second leg sections,which arrangement comprising a rail (12) fitted on the wall on whichrail a roll (13) or the like fixed to the tub moves for turning the tub(1) around its horizontal axis.
 5. A tub arrangement according to claim1, characterized in that the first connecting point (7) of the powerelement (6) locates on a wall, as on a wall of the closet (11) and thesecond connecting point in the leg section (2 b).
 6. A tub arrangementaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the tub arrangement can beturned into vertical position in the closet (11) by means of the powerelement (6).